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Ukuphindisela KukaSamsoni KumaFilistiya
1 Emva kwalokho, ngesikhathi sokuvuna ingqoloyi, uSamsoni wathatha izinyane lembuzi wethekelela umkakhe. Wathi, “Ngiya endlini yomkami.” Kodwa uyisezala wamalela ukuba angene.
2 Wathi, “Ngangileqiniso lokuthi wawusumzonda kakhulu, ngasengimendisela kumkhaphi wakho. Umnawakhe kamuhle kulaye na? Thatha yena.”
3 USamsoni wathi kubo, “Khathesi sengilelungelo lokuphindisela okubi kumaFilistiya. Ngizawalimaza impela.” 4 Ngakho wasuka wabamba amakhanka angamakhulu amathathu wawabophanisa imisila ngambilimbili. Wasebophela uluthi lomlilo emisileni yonke ayeyibophanisile, 5 walumathisa izinti zomlilo wawayekela amakhanka angena emabeleni amiyo amaFilistiya. Watshisa ayesezizeni lamabele amiyo, lezivini kanye lezivande zama-oliva.
6 Kwathi amaFilistiya ebuza ukuthi, “Ngubani owenze lokhu na?” atshelwa ukuthi, “NguSamsoni, umkhwenyana womThimina ngoba umkakhe wendiselwa kumkhaphi wakhe.”
Ngakho amaFilistiya ahamba ayatshisa umkaSamsoni kanye loyise, bafa. 7 USamsoni wathi kubo, “Njengoba selenze lokhu, angiyikukhawula engikwenzayo ngize ngiphindisele kini.” 8 Wabahlasela kakubi wabulala abanengi babo. Emva kwalokho wahamba wayahlala ebhalwini edwaleni lase-Ethamu.
9 AmaFilistiya ahamba ayamisa koJuda, asabalala eduze leLehi. 10 Abantu bakoJuda babuza bathi, “Lizesihlaselelani na?”
Bona baphendula bathi, “Silande ukuzabopha uSamsoni, senze kuye lokhu akwenzayo kithi.”
11 Abantu bakoJuda abazinkulungwane ezintathu baya ebhalwini edwaleni lase-Ethamu bathi kuSamsoni, “Kawazi yini ukuthi amaFilistiya ayasibusa? Kuyini osusenzele khona ngempela?”
Waphendula wathi, “Ngimane ngenza kuwo lokho akwenza kimi.”
12 Bathi kuye, “Thina silande ukuzakubopha sikunikele kuwo.”
USamsoni wathi, “Fungani kimi ukuthi kaliyikungibulala lina ngokwenu.”
13 Baphendula bathi, “Siyavuma. Thina sizakubopha nje kuphela besesikunikela kuwo. Kasiyikukubulala.” Ngakho bambopha ngemichilo emibili emitsha, basebesuka laye edwaleni. 14 Esebanga eLehi, amaFilistiya amhlangabeza eklabalala. UMoya kaThixo wehlela phezu kwakhe ngamandla. Imichilo ezingalweni zakhe yaba njengesikusha esitshileyo, izibopho zawa ezandleni zakhe. 15 Esethole ithambo lomhlathi kababhemi elitsha, walithatha wabulala ngalo abantu abayinkulungwane.
16 USamsoni wasesithi,
“Ngethambo lomhlathi kababhemi,
ngibenze baba ngobabhemi.
Ngethambo lomhlathi kababhemi
ngibulele amadoda ayinkulungwane.”
17 Eseqedile ukukhuluma walilahla ithambo lomhlathi; indawo leyo yasithiwa yiRamathi-Lehi.
18 Ngenxa yokuthi wayesome kakhulu, wakhala kuThixo wathi, “Uyiphile inceku yakho ukunqoba okukhulu. Pho sekumele ngibulawe yikoma yini njalo ngiwele ezandleni zabangasokanga na?” 19 UNkulunkulu wasevula umthonjana eLehi, kwaphuma amanzi kuwo. USamsoni esenathile, amandla akhe aphenduka, wavuseleleka. Ngakho umthombo lowo wathiwa yi-Eni Hakhore, njalo ulokhu ukhona eLehi.
20 USamsoni wakhokhela abako-Israyeli iminyaka engamatshumi amabili ngesikhathi samaFilistiya.